The Gift Recipient
by XX4aXX
Summary: Leonard really shouldn't be looking through Sheldon's desk draws.   Not a Sheldon/Leonard romance .
1. Chapter 1

Leonard knew that he really shouldn't, but he was desperately in need of some staples. He opened the top draw of Sheldon's desk and grabbed the box of staples and helped himself to some. He knew that Sheldon would notice, but he hoped to be able to replace them before Sheldon needed to refill his stapler. He was just about to close the draw when he eye latched onto a long elegant box pushed to the very back of the desk.

Leonard took a quick look around the apartment, he wasn't sure why he did it, Sheldon was working late tonight at the campus, Leonard was alone in his apartment. Leonard grabbed at the box and dragged it out placing it on Sheldon's desk. He didn't open it straight away but rather fought with his conscience, in the end curiosity got the better of him and he slowly opened the box. Inside was a yellow gold chain bracelet with what appeared to be ruby hearts every few links. It was actually very beautiful and Leonard knew that it would have cost Sheldon a lot of money. Lucky Amy. He carefully placed it back exactly where it was, one inch either way and Sheldon would know that someone had moved it. Leonard quickly returned the staples too, he didn't want Sheldon to miss those and realise that who ever took the staples would have seen the gift.

On Sunday night the whole gang met up at 4A to share a meal and watch a movie. Amy, Bernadette and Penny all walked into the apartment at the same time.

"Oh it's lovely, you're a lucky girl, wish my fiance would buy me something as nice as that." Bernadette admired the bracelet and then shot a look at Howard, who looked back at her completely at a loss of why he was getting the look of death from Bernadette.

It was just then that Leonard saw the bracelet again, not on Amy's wrist as expected, but on Penny's. He couldn't believe it, Sheldon had given it to Penny?

"It is certainly a very beautiful piece of jewellery, he must like you very much indeed." Amy admired the bracelet wrapped around Penny's wrist. "How long have you been seeing this mystery man?"

"Oh we've been seeing each other for a few months now." Penny looked at the bracelet and smiled. "It is beautiful isn't it, and so like him to buy it for me. He buys me presents all the time."

It was then that Leonard saw it, a glance between them, it only lasted a microsecond but the connection was definitely there, a small smile at each other. Leonard had to sit down before he fell down.

"You alright there dude?" Raj looked concerned at Leonard.

He couldn't reply, he couldn't believe what was happening right in front of him.

Amy sat next to Sheldon and Penny next to Amy.

"He's a very special guy." Penny was facing Amy, but was looking past her and straight at Sheldon.

Leonard looked around the room, surely everyone else in the room can see these two making constant eye contact with each other.

"Well I think it's romantic." Bernadette said.

"Arggg." Leonard jumped off his seat, and all eyes shot in his direction.

"You alright mate?" Howard asked.

"No, I'm not." He looked around the room, everyone was looking at him, he couldn't just blurt out the accusation, he really had no proof. "I'm going for a walk." Leonard left the apartment.

Sheldon turned toward the door. "That was rude."

"Oh where was I." Penny turned towards Amy and Bernadette again. " Yep, I am a very lucky girl to have a fella like him."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So I decided I wasn't finished with my gift story. I'm not too sure if this will be the last chapter now. At the moment I intend it to be, but if I get an idea I might do another.**

**In saying that, this chapter is from Leonard's POV, it is not sympathetic to Sheldon at all, I love Sheldon I really do, but I think this is how Leonard would react to finding out that Sheldon is buying Penny gifts and obviously what that would imply about their relationship. He would not be happy.**

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><p>After walking out of the apartment Leonard walked around the block about 5 times, he watched at Howard, Raj and Amy leave and decided to return to the apartment. He knocked quietly on 4B, but there was no response so he knew that Penny was still in his apartment. However angry he was he didn't want to walk into something that would make them all embarrassed so he made sure to make a lot of noise opening the door.<p>

As he expected Penny was leaning against the kitchen island and Sheldon was drying a cup, Leonard walked in, didn't say anything just went to the fridge, they really were being quite obvious.

"You feeling better Leonard?" Penny asked.

"Not really." Leonard wasn't really in the mood to play games with these two, but he wasn't going to make it easy for them either. He noticed that Sheldon was still drying the same cup. "Should be dry by now Sheldon I would think."

Sheldon looked at Leonard and then the cup and just replied, "Oh!" then he placed it away in the cupboard and placed the tea towel on the rail of the stove.

Leonard sat on the couch, he saw Penny sneak a quick look at Sheldon and he at her. Leonard grabbed the latest copy of Physics Today and started to re-read the article on Surface-Healing Nanoparticles, he really didn't want to, but he was on their case now, he wasn't going to allow them any time alone if he can help it.

Penny finally left at 10pm, and Sheldon went straight to bed. Leonard told Sheldon he was off to bed too and they both went to their rooms. Five minutes later Leonard sneaked back into the lounge room and sat on the sofa waiting for Sheldon, he didn't have to wait long.

"Going somewhere?" Leonard asked as Sheldon tried to quietly walk past the sofa.

"Leonard? What are you doing up still?"

"I would ask you the same question, but I think a more important question I have, is where are you going?" Leonard flicked the lamp light on.

Sheldon looked at Leonard and thought about his response. "To my desk of course."

"Oh really, seemed like you were heading to the door, now why would that be?"

Sheldon looked at Leonard with his haughty look of derision, but Leonard wasn't having any of that.

"Really where were you heading at this time of night Sheldon? To visit Penny perhaps?"

"Why would I visit Penny at this time of night?"

"So tell me Sheldon, do you knock on her door three times when you guys meet up for your secret rendezvous?"

"Secret rendezvous Leonard? What are you talking about?" Sheldon exclaimed as he walked over to his desk and grabbed his stapler. "I wanted my stapler, now good night."

"Your stapler, you came to get your stapler? Why?"

"I thought it would obvious, I need to staple some pages together."

"So where are they?" Leonard stood up and walked over to Sheldon.

"Where are what Leonard. You really aren't making much sense at the moment you know." Sheldon replied using his full height to try to intimidate Leonard.

Leonard looked at Sheldon and just shock his head, he really cannot believe that they are even having this conversation. "I'm going back to bed. Make sure the door is locked if you decide to visit Penny."

The next morning Leonard walked out into the living room. Sheldon was sitting at the kitchen island eating his breakfast.

"Good Morning Sheldon." Leonard grabbed a cup and filled it with the freshly brewed coffee and took a sip.

"Leonard." Sheldon grabbed his bowl and went over to the sink and washed it.

"Sheldon, I will just say this the once. Tell Amy the situation or I will." Leonard walked back to his bedroom and shut his door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - So I re-wrote this Chapter, I wasn't happy with the other one. This I think wraps it all up better. Thanks for reading.**

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><p>It was just like being back at high school again, the same pain, the same humiliation, and once again the beauty queen got the guy.<p>

Amy, if asked even a day ago to name the two most important people in the world she would have stated very matter of factly that it was her boyfriend Dr Sheldon Cooper, and his neighbour and her BFF, Penny Taylor. Two people that she felt had her back, that she believed loved her as much as she loved them, two people that had just broken her heart.

Amy couldn't tell you exactly what was said on the morning that Sheldon and Penny came to visit her, she remembered they sat on her couch at opposite ends to each other, they didn't look at each other but rather Penny looked at Amy with real sadness in her eyes, and Sheldon wouldn't look at her at all. It was Penny that told her, and when Amy looked to Sheldon for clarification, because surely the words coming out of Penny's mouth could not be true, he looked straight at her and just quietly said "There, there." Little comfort to Amy.

She was being told that the two people that she loved and trusted most in the world were in fact in love with each other. She stood up and told them to leave, that she had heard enough.

It was only an hour later that she heard Leonard's knock on her door. She really wished he would go away, but he told her through the closed door that he was going to sit outside until she opened it. Amy let him sit there for 15 minutes before she opened her door.

He looked up at her and he was surprised that she didn't appear to have been crying, he stood up and said. "Amy are you alright?"

It was then that Amy broke down, Leonard helped her to her sofa. He sat on the seat opposite her and watched as she cried, mumbling to herself that she wished she had never placed that ad, that she wished she never met any of them. He stood up and stood next to her deciding what to do, then he sat down and grabbed her in a hug. "Amy, you don't deserve this and I am really, really sorry."

Leonard returned to 4A and went straight to his bedroom, he opened his closest and grabbed two suitcases, he grabbed clothes and toiletries and filled both bags to bursting. He deposited them on the floor in the lounge room, Sheldon wasn't in their apartment, but he knew where he would find him. He knocked just the once and walked straight into 4B, Sheldon was sitting on the couch holding Penny's hand, she was crying. They both looked up at Leonard.

"I have spent all day with Amy cleaning up the mess that you two left." Leonard was angry.

Penny looked up and in between sobs she said. "Leonard, thank you. Poor Amy."

"You should have thought about that before this little," Leonard pointed his finger between the both of them sitting on the couch. "whatever this is between you two."

"Sheldon and I are in love. We're sorry that Amy was hurt, you know that it was never our intention." Penny replied.

Leonard grabbed at the door and opened it. "Sheldon I think it would be better if I left the apartment, I will be out of there within the week"

Leonard went to close the door behind him, but Sheldon grabbed at it. "Leonard I am sorry you feel that way, you are a true and loyal friend."

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><p>It was awkward the first time that Leonard returned to 4A and very strange for him, he noticed on the shelving alongside Sheldon's action hero figures, were Penny's stuffed toys. Leonard would loved to have been there that day.<p>

It took nearly 6 months for Leonard and Sheldon to repair their friendship, but Leonard missed Sheldon in his life, and Sheldon although he would never admit to it, missed Leonard. When Leonard moved out of 4A, Penny soon moved in, first in Leonard's room, then into Sheldon's bed.

Leonard slowly watched as the relationship between Sheldon and Penny proved that there was someone for everyone, it was true Sheldon and Penny were in love.

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><p>As the boys sat down for dinner on their now resumed Tuesday night Hamburger Night, Raj spoke up. "I have something to tell you all."<p>

Howard, Leonard and Sheldon looked at Raj, waiting for him to continue.

"I've been seeing Amy Farrah Fowler." Raj expressed and waited for his friends to re-act.

Leonard looked pleased, Howard looked confused and Sheldon just looked at Raj not saying a thing, or giving away any clues as to how he felt about it.

"What do you mean seeing, you mean in the biblical sense?" Howard asked.

Raj looked at Howard, "Amy is a lady and I will not have you talk about her like that."

Leonard smiled at Raj. "So Raj, how do you talk to her?"

"Amy suggested I try hypnotherapy, and I have, I was able to say a whole sentence to her the other day."

"A whole sentence hey!" Howard ribbed his friend.

After they ate their dinner, Leonard offered to drop Sheldon back to his apartment as Penny still had a couple hours of work to do, as they drove toward Los Robles Leonard spoke up.

"Sheldon, what do you think about Amy and Raj seeing each other?"

"It's not my concern." Sheldon looked out the window, he really didn't want this conversation.

"No, it's not, but Raj is your friend and Amy, well Amy was your girlfriend."

"Still not my concern." Sheldon continued to look outside the window.

Leonard looked at his friend. "Really, you have no opinion on this, first time for everything."

"Well." Sheldon spoke up. "If you really want to know, I think Amy is too smart for Raj, but he will treat her well, and she deserves it."

When Amy and Raj announced their impending marriage no-one was more surprised to receive an invitation than Penny was, but she was thrilled and quickly replied that they would be attending the wedding.

At the reception Penny walked up to Amy and Raj and wished them all the luck and love in the world. Amy looked at Penny and told her that she wished her and Sheldon the same, and she meant it, she had found that since she had fallen in love and was truly loved in return, she was able to understood just enough that she had found the strength to forgive.

It was then that Penny looked at diamond bracelet on Amy's wrist. "It's beautiful Amy, really beautiful."

Amy lifted her arm and looked at the bracelet and then at her husband. "It was a wedding present from Raj this morning."

"Raj, it would have cost a fortune." Penny replied looking at the bracelet.

Raj quietly replied. "She is worth it."

Amy smiled at Raj. "I'm a lucky girl to have a fella like him."


End file.
